Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly had a secret “introductory meeting” with California Gov. Gavin Newsom just weeks before the 2020 presidential election.
According to The Sun , the specific date of the rendezvous took place on October 19 and consisted of a virtual hour-long meeting between the governor and the royal duo. Details about the meeting have remained under wraps and Newsom’s team has pointed to its policy of not discussing “the content of meetings between the Governor and private parties or his staff.”
However, some pundits have suggested the meeting might have been about Kamala Harris’ Senate seat. At the time, Joe Biden and Harris were both favored to win the White House, which would mean the Indian-Jamaican lawmaker’s seat would have to be filled by a Newsom-appointed figure. The governor had been facing public pressure to place another woman of color in the role.
Royal fans have speculated that Meghan might have thrown her hat into the ring, as she has become more politically active since her move to the United States. However, this theory has not been verified and remains as conjecture. Newsom ended up appointing Mexican-American and former California Secretary of State Alex Padilla for the role.
Nevertheless, many royal analysts and fans have slammed the Sussexes for appearing to renege on one of the major promises of the Megxit deal — to steer clear from politics, a policy that is considered essential for all royals.
Previously, the couple had been criticized for delivering a number of charged messages leading up to the 2020 presidential election. Though the duke and duchess said they simply hoped to encourage voter participation, critics claimed that since the pair had a history of making derogatory remarks towards then-President Donald Trump, they should have focused on their other charitable enterprises instead.
Allegedly, the duke and duchess particularly angered the Palace after speaking during a Time 100 video, which many believed was a dig at Trump and even earned an angry letter from a Republican lawmaker on the matter.
“Every four years, we’re told the same thing, ‘This is the most important election of our lifetime.’ But this one is. When we vote, our values are put into action, and our voices are heard,” Meghan said in the clip.
“The [royal] family are all wringing their hands, thinking: where is this going and does this abide by the deal to uphold the values of the Queen? The feeling is it’s a violation of the agreement,” a source at the Palace revealed, per The Daily Mail .
“If Trump is re-elected and makes another visit here, what is the Queen supposed to say when her grandson and his wife have effectively campaigned against him?” added the insider.
The Sussexes had previously earned headlines this past week over a controversy surrounding their son Archie’s birth certificate, as was covered by The Inquisitr .